086 High Society
The background is white. ; Panel 1 Mayor Osgood, smiling broadly, pushes his hood off of his head with both hands. He says "Ha ha! *Wonderful!* Would you care for a drink, Mr. Zane?" The hooded figure next to him looks on. Zane, looking incredulous and sweating heavily, says "*M-Mayor Osgood?!*" The background is a rich purplish-red, but much less dark than any of the backgrounds of the previous strip. ; Panel 2. Planchett, his hood pushed back, looks annoyed as he says "*Lousy!* If Harker could hear us, he'd be turning in his *grave*! We never used to get louder at the end! It's not some plebeian quote *base-ball unquote chant*!" To his side, the owner of the Hotel Umbra pulls down his hood, his eyes closed and a contented smile on his face. The background is a lighter shade of magenta. ; Panel 3. Zane, still sweating heavily and looking anxious, brings one hand to his mouth and says "B-But *why?* The *robes?* And what were you *saying*?" Osgood, in the middle of pulling off his robe entirely, smiles as he replies "The new member's *oath!* Wadder, welcome to the Society of the Skull and Shovels. I can explain everything!" Behind them, the other figures, some still hooded, look shadowy. The background is fading from a rich pink to a dusty rose. ; Panel 4. Osgood, now completely divested of his robe but wearing his pin on his lapel, walks over to the wall with Zane, gesturing towards a large painting in a fancy gold frame. He explains, "The Skull and Shovels began at least 160 years ago, with the original *settlers* of Broodhollow. Then in the 1800s, the society's most *wealthy* member began inviting other business owners *here*, to his mansion." Zane is still sweating and looks dismayed, and has his arms out to the sides in a gesture of anxiousness. The background is a muted greyish-rose color, and some other members are still milling around, shown in shadow. ; Panel 5. Osgood and Zane, still sweating and frowning a little, look at the picture. The top half of it is covered by Osgood's speech bubble, but the bottom half shows the legs of a man in bright red trousers and black shoes, with the points of a green vest at his waist. Behind him is a spinning wheel and what may be a dresser. A plaque at the base of the frame reads "Harker." Osgood continues, "To this day, we business owners and *stewards* of Broodhollow discuss town events, politics... It's a very *powerful* club, Mr. Zane. Your grand-uncle Virgil was a member. Now, as new owner of his shop, so are *you*." The wall the picture is on is patterned with light grey and dark grey stripes. ; Panel 6. Zane, sweating slightly and still looking disconcerted, asks "What was that oath about?!" Mayor Osgood, his eyes closed and a relaxed look on his face, replies "Loyalty, secrecy and so on, I expect! You know! Oath stuff!" The background is striped in very light pink and grey. The effect is that it seems like hardly the same place as was shown in the first panel, let alone the dark and intense panels of the previous strip.